Somewhere in Bucovina, on the Salina Hill in Cacica, far from the pollution of civilization, lies Vatra Boierească. A group of four traditional houses, dating back to around 1800, relocated here "like at the Village Museum" through the passion of a family of tourism entrepreneurs.
Vatra Boierească came to life in 2020 and embodies the essence of authentic tourism, combining accommodation in traditional houses, a sheepfold where guests can taste local dishes, carriages that take them for a ride, and groups of children singing and dancing in a pure Bucovinian style. And because "cacica" in Polish means "bad soil" but also "duck," Vatra Boierească's experience includes a pond with a pier and fish.
Business Challenges:
When the Vatra Boierească project started, the Păstrav family was already running a guesthouse in Suceava and knew what tourism meant. However, the new complex was over 50 kilometers from home, in an isolated location, limiting the time spent there by both the managers and the available staff.
Georgiana Păstrav immediately realized that she needed technology, both to access information and to offer guests an easy way to communicate and book accommodations.
"In the guesthouse in Suceava, we worked in a more empirical way, with data noted in a notebook and pencil diagrams for bookings. I quickly realized that at Vatra Boierească, due to the distance, I wouldn't be able to be there all the time and would have to ask for data over the phone to know what was going on. So, I started looking for a management solution that would automate the activity and give me remote access to information." – Georgiana Păstrav, Owner, Vatra Boierească.
At the same time, Georgiana Păstrav discovered Pynbooking as a guest at guesthouses in Viscri and Colibița. She received a check-in link by email, as well as an invoice and an invitation for a review, and this automation caught her attention.
"I quickly realized that Pynbooking was exactly what I needed at Vatra Boierească, especially automation and procedures. I asked for additional information from colleagues in the tourism industry, and since the feedback was positive, I requested a demo. It was my first interaction with a PMS and Channel Manager, and it seemed complex but also had a huge impact on the activity and was a great help to the entire team." – Georgiana Păstrav
The Solution
For Vatra Boierească, the ideal solution was the implementation of the Pynbooking PMS, integrated with the Channel Manager and Booking Engine on their own website.
All reservations are centralized in the PMS, regardless of the source, with the system automatically managing any price and availability updates. The Channel Manager was integrated with well-known digital platforms (Booking, Travelminit, Google Hotels) as well as traditional agencies, and on the website, via the Booking Engine, an online payment module was integrated, accepting vacation vouchers as well.
The dynamic pricing module was also activated to correlate prices with demand and actual availability. Invoices are automatically generated from the PMS and exported to both guests and accounting, without the need for printing or manual handling. The system generates multiple reports on sales, occupancy rates, revenue, and tourists, useful both for managers and in dealings with authorities. All four employees responsible for reception have access to the system, regardless of location or device used.
"Initial installation and configuration were easy, especially thanks to the support team at Pynbooking, who were close to us and responded promptly to requests. Any issue was resolved on the same day, which says a lot. The usage part is just as simple, and new employees, especially if they have some experience in hospitality, quickly learn all the necessary operations." – Georgiana Păstrav
Benefits
Georgiana Păstrav has been using Pynbooking for three years and is satisfied with it. However, beyond words, the reality is that less than a year after implementing the Pynbooking platform at Vatra Boierească, she took the same step at her guesthouse SantaFe in Suceava. This decision is the best sign that Pynbooking worked and delivered results. But let’s see the concrete gains:
- Complete automation of the reservation process, regardless of the number of integrated platforms.
"The connection via Channel Manager with online booking agencies like Booking and Travelminit, from which most of our guests come, has helped us enormously. These reservations are fully processed automatically, saving us a lot of work." – Georgiana Păstrav
- Remote access to information, directly from a mobile phone.
"For a hospitality entrepreneur, it's the best verification mechanism. I know the real situation at the guesthouse at any time and can enjoy my vacation or free days without being on-site or calling the staff. I know who and when is checking in, what revenue we will have. Getting this information used to be very difficult, time-consuming, and inconvenient for me as an entrepreneur." – Georgiana Păstrav
- Redirecting a growing number of guests to book on their own website, reducing commissions paid to third parties.
"Having a Booking Engine on our own website, with extended booking and online payment options (including vacation vouchers), allows us to attract guests through our own marketing campaigns (including from the Facebook page). At the same time, we guide here both guests who call or send emails, as well as traditional agencies who contact us." – Georgiana Păstrav
- Reception open 24/7, because employees have Pynbooking on their phones and can take reservations anytime, without needing to be next to a computer.
With Pynbooking, Vatra Boierească shows that tradition and technology work flawlessly together, offering guests an exceptional experience. Moreover, the measurable results are positive, from increased occupancy rates to reduced commissions paid.
"With Pynbooking, we’ve moved from pencil to cloud, and the change has been so significant and makes my work so easy that I have it permanently open on my phone, non-stop." – Georgiana Păstrav, Owner, Vatra Boierească.